1. "I Don't Know Why"--Ben Kweller, Ben Kweller:
This album was in heavy rotation for me when it came out in 2006. I saw him on this tour, and he was strong live. He has a new album coming out this year, in February. This is a solid song from the album. NO SHAME.
2. "Treefingers"--Radiohead, Kid A:
This album came out while I was living overseas. I prefer the more straightforward Radiohead songs over the moodier, soundscape, experimental noise. This song is one of the latter, one of the slow-burners that works as a transition on the album but does not work on a shuffle. MEH.
3. "Heads Will Roll"--Echo & the Bunnymen, Killing Moon: The Best of Echo and the Bunnymen:
Another song from this recent purchase. I had not heard this song before buying this double-cd a couple of months back. It is a solid song, though not as strong as the better known songs. NO SHAME.
4. "Zanzibar"--Billy Joel, 52nd Street:
I saw Billy Joel live in 1987. He was an incredible live performer. I tend to be a "best of" Billy Joel fan. This is one of the deeper cuts on 52nd street, and one with which I am not familiar. Wikipedia tells me the trumpet solo is from Freddie Hubbard (my friend Mark will have to help me with this one). This song seems to support the description of 52nd Street as more "jazzy." Not familiar with the song, but I wouldn't skip it. NO SHAME.
5. "Salad Days"--Minor Threat, Minor Threat: Complete Discography:
I came to Minor Threat after Fugazi, in other words, after they were long gone. This song is fine but not one I would seek out. NO SHAME.
Friday, December 30, 2011
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Week of December 26, 2011
SKIP: 2 Weeks in a row with a skip. This week it is a 30 second "song" from my son's toddler music class. He's not a toddler any more. This "album" was put on my ipod about 8 years ago and really has no business being on it at this point.
1. "Tear"--Red Hot Chili Peppers, By The Way:
All the wrong RHCP songs keep coming up on these shuffles. This song is about as boring as they come. As stated before, this album was the end for me. I liked Californication for the most part, but have not been able to feel connected to any of their music since. Maybe a song here or there. MEH.
2. "Fat"--Archers of Loaf, Icky Mettle:
So psyched that this song came up. I have been in the midst of a full AOL revival lately. Archers of Loaf were an under the radar 90s band. I owned Icky Mettle when it came out but did not listen to it enough. A couple of months ago they did a reissue of this awesome album on Merge Records. The band did a little bit of touring in 2011 and played on Jimmy Fallon for their t.v. debut. SHUFFLE GOODNESS.
3. "I Just Want the Girl in the Blue Dress to Keep On Dancin"--Mike Doughty, Golden Delicious:
Mike Doughty was the lead singer/guitarist for Soul Coughing. I liked some Soul Coughing in the 90s but mostly listened to them because my friend is a big fan. However, I have really liked Doughty's solo albums. This was the last one that I bought. His solo work is a bit more straight forward, singer/songwriter than the Soul Coughing stuff. Good song. SHUFFLE GOODNESS.
4. "In a Simple Rhyme"--Van Halen, Women and Children First:
It is difficult to overstate how huge of a Van Halen fan I was when I was in high school. They were my first concert (1984 tour). I can name just about every song within the first 10 seconds of it playing. I own Van Halen III on CD and enjoyed it. Need I say more. I have never gotten too much into the singer debate. It's always been about Eddie for me. I have honestly lost some interest, since they have not put out any new music in forever. Needless to say, I am anxious to hear the new album in 2012. Not the song I hoped would debut for the band on here, but definitely SHUFFLE GOLD!!
SKIP: You have got to be kidding me. 2 skips in one session. I was given Cal Ripken Jr.'s book on CD and put it on the ipod for a long road trip. This was chapter 3b. Probably need to pull this off the ipod as well.
5. "Helpless"--Sugar, Besides Live
Great way to end this week's blog. I have been a Bob Mould fan for a long, long time. I still buy his music and actually just got a live solo album of his for Christmas. Sugar is, by far, my favorite work of his. Copper Blue is one of my all time favorite albums. "Helpless" is a great song, and this live version is solid. SHUFFLE GOLD!!
1. "Tear"--Red Hot Chili Peppers, By The Way:
All the wrong RHCP songs keep coming up on these shuffles. This song is about as boring as they come. As stated before, this album was the end for me. I liked Californication for the most part, but have not been able to feel connected to any of their music since. Maybe a song here or there. MEH.
2. "Fat"--Archers of Loaf, Icky Mettle:
So psyched that this song came up. I have been in the midst of a full AOL revival lately. Archers of Loaf were an under the radar 90s band. I owned Icky Mettle when it came out but did not listen to it enough. A couple of months ago they did a reissue of this awesome album on Merge Records. The band did a little bit of touring in 2011 and played on Jimmy Fallon for their t.v. debut. SHUFFLE GOODNESS.
3. "I Just Want the Girl in the Blue Dress to Keep On Dancin"--Mike Doughty, Golden Delicious:
Mike Doughty was the lead singer/guitarist for Soul Coughing. I liked some Soul Coughing in the 90s but mostly listened to them because my friend is a big fan. However, I have really liked Doughty's solo albums. This was the last one that I bought. His solo work is a bit more straight forward, singer/songwriter than the Soul Coughing stuff. Good song. SHUFFLE GOODNESS.
4. "In a Simple Rhyme"--Van Halen, Women and Children First:
It is difficult to overstate how huge of a Van Halen fan I was when I was in high school. They were my first concert (1984 tour). I can name just about every song within the first 10 seconds of it playing. I own Van Halen III on CD and enjoyed it. Need I say more. I have never gotten too much into the singer debate. It's always been about Eddie for me. I have honestly lost some interest, since they have not put out any new music in forever. Needless to say, I am anxious to hear the new album in 2012. Not the song I hoped would debut for the band on here, but definitely SHUFFLE GOLD!!
SKIP: You have got to be kidding me. 2 skips in one session. I was given Cal Ripken Jr.'s book on CD and put it on the ipod for a long road trip. This was chapter 3b. Probably need to pull this off the ipod as well.
5. "Helpless"--Sugar, Besides Live
Great way to end this week's blog. I have been a Bob Mould fan for a long, long time. I still buy his music and actually just got a live solo album of his for Christmas. Sugar is, by far, my favorite work of his. Copper Blue is one of my all time favorite albums. "Helpless" is a great song, and this live version is solid. SHUFFLE GOLD!!
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Week of December 19, 2011
1. "Never There"--Cake, Prolonging the Magic:
Cake was on heavy rotation in the pre-ipod era, throughout the mid to late 90s. I love this song. This song was on my real live "desert island" mix tape that I took with me when I was in the Peace Corps. I have not heard it in a long time and felt happy immediately when it came up. SHUFFLE GOLD!!
2. "My Lonely Man"--Red Hot Chili Peppers, Blood Sugar Sex Magik:
"Give It Away" and "Under the Bridge" broke the RHCPs into the mainstream with this album's release. I listened to this album a lot when it first came out in 1991. This song was another tribute to original RHCP guitarist Hillel Slovak, who died of a heroine overdose. I believe "Knock Me Down," off of the previous album, Mother's Milk, was also somewhat of a tribute to Slovak. I always liked this song. This was the last RHCP album that was on heavy rotation for me. I should have known when they spelled magic with a 'k' that the end was near for me. NO SHAME.
SKIP: Eventually, something had to come up on the shuffle that required skipping. I have several non-music items. In this case, I have a digital recording of a drunk-dial message that my father-in-law left. It's hilarious but obviously doesn't fit with the shuffle.
3. "All That Jazz"--Echo and the Bunnymen, Killing Moon The Best of Echo and the Bunnymen:
I just bought this double CD 2 months ago! Hanging out with my friends Chase and Mark, I found this best of in the used bin at Wax Trax Records in Denver. For someone who still buys physical CDs this was an awesome find. I was never a huge Echo fan but needed to have these songs in the library. NO SHAME.
4. "Girlfriend in a Coma"--The Smiths, Strangeways, Here We Come:
I was too focused on the hard rock in high school to have even been aware of the Smiths. I did not discover them until my freshman year in college when I had my music taste awakening. This was the current Smiths album at the time, and this was the single. It was a good introduction to the band. I eventually became a bigger fan after hearing The Queen is Dead. NO SHAME.
5. "Guilford Fall"--Fugazi, End Hits:
Recently in the news for getting a lot of their live albums up in digital format, go to http://www.dischord.com/fugazi_live_series to see if any of the shows you witnessed are up. I like this album as a whole. This song is one of the stronger tracks for sure. I'm saving my shuffle gold judgment for a true Fugazi gem, so NO SHAME.
Cake was on heavy rotation in the pre-ipod era, throughout the mid to late 90s. I love this song. This song was on my real live "desert island" mix tape that I took with me when I was in the Peace Corps. I have not heard it in a long time and felt happy immediately when it came up. SHUFFLE GOLD!!
2. "My Lonely Man"--Red Hot Chili Peppers, Blood Sugar Sex Magik:
"Give It Away" and "Under the Bridge" broke the RHCPs into the mainstream with this album's release. I listened to this album a lot when it first came out in 1991. This song was another tribute to original RHCP guitarist Hillel Slovak, who died of a heroine overdose. I believe "Knock Me Down," off of the previous album, Mother's Milk, was also somewhat of a tribute to Slovak. I always liked this song. This was the last RHCP album that was on heavy rotation for me. I should have known when they spelled magic with a 'k' that the end was near for me. NO SHAME.
SKIP: Eventually, something had to come up on the shuffle that required skipping. I have several non-music items. In this case, I have a digital recording of a drunk-dial message that my father-in-law left. It's hilarious but obviously doesn't fit with the shuffle.
3. "All That Jazz"--Echo and the Bunnymen, Killing Moon The Best of Echo and the Bunnymen:
I just bought this double CD 2 months ago! Hanging out with my friends Chase and Mark, I found this best of in the used bin at Wax Trax Records in Denver. For someone who still buys physical CDs this was an awesome find. I was never a huge Echo fan but needed to have these songs in the library. NO SHAME.
4. "Girlfriend in a Coma"--The Smiths, Strangeways, Here We Come:
I was too focused on the hard rock in high school to have even been aware of the Smiths. I did not discover them until my freshman year in college when I had my music taste awakening. This was the current Smiths album at the time, and this was the single. It was a good introduction to the band. I eventually became a bigger fan after hearing The Queen is Dead. NO SHAME.
5. "Guilford Fall"--Fugazi, End Hits:
Recently in the news for getting a lot of their live albums up in digital format, go to http://www.dischord.com/fugazi_live_series to see if any of the shows you witnessed are up. I like this album as a whole. This song is one of the stronger tracks for sure. I'm saving my shuffle gold judgment for a true Fugazi gem, so NO SHAME.
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Week of December 12, 2011
1. "Can You Keep A Secret"--De La Soul, 3 Feet High and Rising:
De La Soul is the first hip hop band that I really loved. This song is off of their first album, which is when I began listening to them. For me, their appeal was that they could write fun, party songs as well as socially conscious ones. NO SHAME.
2. "It's My Life"--Talk Talk, The Very Best of Talk Talk:
Mark Hollis has an awesome voice! Unique and powerful. This song is one of my favorites by Talk Talk. They were a band that I heard on the radio some in high school in the 80s but did not really appreciate or enjoy until I was in my 20s, after they broke up. NO SHAME.
3. "Debonair"--The Afghan Whigs, Gentleman:
I consider this song to be an essential 90s indie rock anthem. Gentleman is the album that brought the Afghan Whigs to my attention. I like their first album as well but would not qualify myself as a huge fan. However, this song is a staple for the time period and would make any 90s playlist that I would put together. SHUFFLE GOLD!
4. "The View"--Modest Mouse, Good News for People Who Love Bad News:
This song is one of the better ones on this album. This album brought Modest Mouse a lot of attention. In some ways it put them on the map. However, their more straightforward approach on Lonesome Crowded West is more my taste. I have enjoyed the later albums, just not as much as the earlier. NO SHAME.
5. "Little Room"--the White Stripes, White Blood Cells:
This song feels like a filler, running less than a minute long. This was the first White Stripes album that I heard (probably like a lot of people). Like most of their music it is hit or miss for me. MEH.
De La Soul is the first hip hop band that I really loved. This song is off of their first album, which is when I began listening to them. For me, their appeal was that they could write fun, party songs as well as socially conscious ones. NO SHAME.
2. "It's My Life"--Talk Talk, The Very Best of Talk Talk:
Mark Hollis has an awesome voice! Unique and powerful. This song is one of my favorites by Talk Talk. They were a band that I heard on the radio some in high school in the 80s but did not really appreciate or enjoy until I was in my 20s, after they broke up. NO SHAME.
3. "Debonair"--The Afghan Whigs, Gentleman:
I consider this song to be an essential 90s indie rock anthem. Gentleman is the album that brought the Afghan Whigs to my attention. I like their first album as well but would not qualify myself as a huge fan. However, this song is a staple for the time period and would make any 90s playlist that I would put together. SHUFFLE GOLD!
4. "The View"--Modest Mouse, Good News for People Who Love Bad News:
This song is one of the better ones on this album. This album brought Modest Mouse a lot of attention. In some ways it put them on the map. However, their more straightforward approach on Lonesome Crowded West is more my taste. I have enjoyed the later albums, just not as much as the earlier. NO SHAME.
5. "Little Room"--the White Stripes, White Blood Cells:
This song feels like a filler, running less than a minute long. This was the first White Stripes album that I heard (probably like a lot of people). Like most of their music it is hit or miss for me. MEH.
Friday, December 2, 2011
Week of December 5, 2011
1. "Birds Fly"--They Might Be Giants, Then: The Earlier Years:
They Might Be Giants are always fun and clever. I tend to like a song here and there from them. More recently, I have enjoyed their albums for kids, having bought them for my kids. This is a short song but doesn't do too much for me. MEH.
2. "The Zephyr Song"--The Red Hot Chili Peppers, By The Way:
I bought this album shortly after being overseas for 2 years. I had liked Californication but was losing my interest in the RHCPs. As I have said in a previous post, I was a rabid fan for a couple of years, especially during the Mother's Milk tour. I don't like this album as much as the earlier ones, but this song works. NO SHAME.
3. "Are You Gonna Be My Girl"--Jet, Get Born:
This song captures the early 2000s for me. All of the "The" bands (the Strokes, The Hives, The Killers, et al) were garnering attention. Even though these guys are missing the "The" in their name, I lump this song in with that particular sound. I always liked this song as a single but was never interested in more than 2 or 3 of this band's songs. NO SHAME.
4. "Your Love"--The Outfield, 80's Hits Stripped:
My friend Mark recently gave me this album. All of the "hits" from the 80s played acoustic style or with less members. Not exactly unplugged. This song takes me back to the high school days, but I was never a fan. This was a radio song for me. I could listen to it without cringing too much but it's not my bag. MILD SHAME.
5. "Give A Little Love"--Rilo Kiley, Under the Blacklight:
I know a little Rilo Kiley but not this song. They are a band that I wanted to listen to more, but they don't maintain my interest beyond a few songs. MEH.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)